Sonia Gandhi's book 'Belonging' released, makes revelations on Manmohan Singh and Modi
Sonia Gandhi's autobiography 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' has brought to light several key facts about her decision not to become Prime Minister in 2004 and the functioning of Manmohan Singh's government.
Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's new book 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' was released in the market on Tuesday. Published by HarperCollins India, the book details her political life, the reasons for not leading the government in 2004, and her experiences with current Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In the book, she flatly rejected the allegations of 'remote control' leveled against Dr. Manmohan Singh. She stated that government functioning and organizational powers were completely separate; Dr. Singh was running the administration with complete autonomy, and she herself remained confined only to party activities.
According to Sonia Gandhi, the decision not to take up the post of Prime Minister after the victory in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections was taken after family discussions. Due to the tragic assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were scared about security and pressured their mother not to assume the post, following which Dr. Manmohan Singh's name was put forward.
Mentioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she wrote that there was never any open conversation between the two, and meetings during Parliament or government programs only involved formal greetings. She said that both have completely opposite views and political ideologies regarding the country.
In the book, mentioning the 1984 Operation Blue Star, Sonia Gandhi wrote that then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi wept upon seeing the photographs of the damage inside the Darbar Sahib complex.
Shiromani Akali Dal spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kaler strongly objected to this remark, saying that Operation Blue Star was a deep conspiracy and the Congress has given unbearable wounds to the Sikh community. On the other hand, Congress working president Raj Kumar Verka came to the defense, stating that the Congress never justified the military action and the party has always stood with Punjab.
Key developments
- Sonia Gandhi's book 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' released on Tuesday
- Categorical rejection of allegations that Manmohan Singh government was run by remote control
- Revelation about Rahul and Priyanka declining the PM post due to security concerns in 2004
- Political debate sparked over the mention of Indira Gandhi's reaction to Operation Blue Star
